Negotiations at YSU showed Dr. Sweet learned little

Negotiations at YSU showed Dr. Sweet learned little
EDITOR:
At his State of the University address three years ago, President Sweet remarked that he had learned many things about negotiations. I was delighted when I heard him say that, as I had been on the faculty negotiations team at the time and had first hand experience with the attitude of Sweet's negotiators toward the faculty -- their detached arrogance, their disregard for facts, and their unwillingness to negotiate in good faith. Next time around, I thought, things will be different.
We all now know they were. The arrogance of the administration turned into vindictiveness. Their disregard of the facts turned into half-truths spewed by their media department, and their lack of good faith turned individuals who are otherwise decent and reasonable into ugly human beings who blindly follow orders from Tod Hall.
Now Sweet declares that the "healing must begin," as if by magic he can undo the wounds he caused, as if his words have power over us, as if the staff and faculty have any faith in what he says. Resolutions of no confidence in his administration were by almost unanimous vote passed by staff and faculty. If all he can say about that is that they "come with the territory," then he really is not listening and consequently will continue to misunderstand this university.
Let me suggest three lessons Sweet should learn from the recent negotiations. First, change your personnel -- those you put to lead the charge in negotiations are hollow men; second, negotiate as if you are bound with us whose lives and families you directly affect; finally, come down from your make-believe throne, walk around campus, and say to each and every staff and faculty you encounter, "I'm sorry for what I did. I am so regretful. I caused you and your family great pain and I betrayed your splendid spirit of loyalty and enthusiasm for this place. This time I did learn some things from negotiations. I will be kind and truthful next time around."
If you say these things, if your repentance is truthful, David, some of us might begin to believe you have the character of your namesake. But you have to earn it.
Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, Ph.D.
Director, Dr. James Dale Ethics Center
Professor, Philosophy and Religious Studies
Youngstown State University
Lake Evans could do its part
EDITOR:
The recent threat of the rainfall of up to four inches from hurricane Katrina brought to mind some considerations concerning flooding in the Yellow Creek Watershed.
The Poland Library was particularly vulnerable since construction crews were building a permanent wall and had removed the temporary sandbag wall.
Yet we drove by the dam at Lake Evans Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. and noticed that no water was being released to lower the lake level to absorb some of the pending deluge. From North Lima Road it appeared that the lake was at summer level.
Do the managers of Aqua Ohio, which owns Lake Evans, consider the lake a tool to control some of the flooding we have experienced in recent years? If the lake was lowered even six inches, imagine the water that would be contained to be released at a slower rate.
In the 20-some years we have lived near Evans we have noticed previous managers lowering the lake level in the fall. We also have noticed Aqua Ohio is in the process of selling home sites around their lakes. Is a lake with a level that has been lowered not a good selling point?
We feel Aqua Ohio should be good upstream neighbors and participate in the water control issues we face. Their help would be greatly appreciated by their downstream neighbors, who just happen to be their customers.
KEN and ANN YACAVONE
Poland